Column erection connector



y 1963 VAN RENSSELAER P. SAXE 3,

COLUMN ERECTION CONNECTOR Filed Nov. 9, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR VAN RENSSELAER P. SAXE flak July 16, 1963 VAN RENSSELAER P. SAXE 3,

COLUMN ERECTION CONNECTOR Filed Nov. 9, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FlClL.

INVENTOR VAN RENSSELAER P. SAXE United States Patent 3,097,729 COLUMN ERECTION CONNECTOR Van Rensselaer P. Saxe, 1701 St. Paul St., Baltimore 2, Md. Filed Nov. 9,1960, Ser. No. 68,277 Claims. (Cl. 189-36) This invention relates to an improved field erection connector for columns usually of the I-beam' type, to facilitate holding them in position and securing their vertical alignment in the erection construction of metal framed building structures.

My prior patents Nos. 2,540.408 and 2,624,429, illustrate the manner of connecting horizontal floor beams to columns by devices which interlock the beams with vertical columns by the mere act of placing them together. Heretofore, it has been the customary erection practice to connect the superimposed vertically aligned column sections by applying plates which are either bolted or welded to the flanges at the ends of the columns for an erecting field connection'prior to placing floor beams between the columns. In most cases, the plates have one end welded to the related column while the other perforated end projects beyond the flanges to receive bolts. This procedure is costly from the standpoint of time and labor for several reasons; first, effecting registration of bolt holes and putting holes therein is tedious; and second, additional time and labor is subsequently required to burn oif the projecting ends of the plates with a torch to prevent them extending into the ceiling area to interfere with plastering or other finishes.

Accordingly, the present invention has as its primary objective the elimination of the objectionable features and characteristics of prior column splicing procedures to save preparation and erection time in the field. That is to say, this economy in time and labor savings is effected by placing the interengaging parts of the splice respectively on the inner faces of the flanges of the columns where they are out of the ceiling zone, and whether these parts are attached in the shop or in the field, when erection time comes, it is only necessary to stack in columns in place. The present splice includes a U-shaped yoke member, such for instance as that shown in my pending application Serial No. 852,903, now Patent No. 3,017,972, and whose ends may be welded to the lower inner face of the flange of the upper column, for example, and in which case the inner face of the flange of the previously erected lower column section is provided with a splicing tongue. This tongue is formed so that its leading end is yieldable to facilitate its insertion behind the keeper bar and the yoke and also to permit it to be later forced by a wedge into firmly interlocking position. Subsequently, if desired, the interlocked and wedged elements may be welded together.

With the above and other objects in view which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

A preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

'FIGURE 1 is a detail perspective view of aligned vertical column sections illustrating the manner of applying the invention, and with the wedge about to be applied to force the splicing to final locked position.

FIGURE 2 is an exploded view showing in perspective, the splicing member, the keeper yoke, and the wedge.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged elevation of the splice in its fully interlocked and final position.

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 2.

the upper section B which are to be aligned and secured during the erection of the building framework. One face of theflange' of the column A has welded thereto, the splice designated generally as C whilethe' upper section B is provided with the keeper yoke D. This keeper yoke has its end portions D welded to the inner face of the upper section B while its medial portion is shaped or formed, preferably as shown in my aforesaid co-pending application, to have a proper degree of re'sil-- iency. That is to say, the central bar portion of this yoke is formed with an arcuate inwardly directed recess D having its depth of greatest magnitude adjacent the inner downwardly curved surface D to provide a relatively thin resilient web, while the end portions D' retain their normal cross sectional thickness.

The splice C comprises a body I intended to be welded to the inner face of the flange of the section at a point to be engaged within the keeper yoke D. The body 1 which serves as the area of attachment to the column is relatively thick as compared with its leading or threading portion which provides a tongue 2. That is to 'say,"the tongue 2 is tapered so that its opposite arcuate side-edges 6, '3' generally converge to insure ready threading into the yoke or vice-versa. This is an important feature because the upper section is suspended from a sling and it is highly desirable to easily bring it in registry with the lower section.

Referring further to the tongue 2, it will be observed that the relative thinning thereof is preferably accomplished by making the inner face 4 on an arc in relation to its flat outer face 5 so that the inner face of the tongue is concave. This construction provides the necessary springiness or yieldabil ity to effect ready insertion into the yoke -D attached to the upper column section. The upper portion of the outer face 5 also has a locking lug 6 while the terminal portion of the thinned clip body is provided with a central U-shaped wedge key receiving slot 7 thereby forming spaced relatively resilient fingers 8 whose inner edges are offset to form the column engaging abutment portions 9. The 'inner face of the medial portion of the tongue 2 is provided with a transverse locking rib 10'.-

The wedge key designated generally as K includes a shank portion 11, a head 12, and a tapered locking face 1'3 provided with a transverse rib receiving groove 14.

In erecting sectional columns it is customary to make the flanges of a lower column section thicker, for greater strength, than an upper column section, the inner faces of the flanges remaining in the same plane. For that reason it is desirable to place the yoke and splice member on the related inner faces of the flanges. In any event, the upper section is preferably provided with a chamfered edge which cooperates with the related straight edge of the lower section to provide a welding groove 15.

Assuming that the body 1 of the splice C is welded in position as shown in FIGURES l, 3 and 4, the upper column section B having the yoke D may be lowered by a sling in the usual fashion so that the upper bifurcated portion of the resilient tongue may be readily threaded through the space between the inner face of the central keeper bar of the yoke D and the related face of the column section B so that lug 6 will snap over and engage the top edge of the said keeper bar. Thereafter, the wedge key K when struck upon its head 12 by a mallet, sledge, or similar tool may be guided and driven into the space 7 until the transverse groove 4 interlocks with the rib 10 of the tongue.

Patented July 16, 1 963 The effect of driving the wedge key into position is to forcibly spring the tongue portion outwardly, that is away from the related column face to insure that the lug 6 firmly engages over the upper edge of the keeper bar of the yoke while the rib '10 enters the key groove 14 to prevent withdrawal of the key. Thereafter, the two columns A and B being field erected and temporarily held tightly together-in vertical alignment at the joint between them, are ready for permanent fastening together by field Welding of groove 15, FIG. 1.

It will now be seen that the present invention provides practical and effective means greatly facilitating the placement of an upper column section on a lower column section in a manner to save time and labor, while also providing a coupling connection which in no way interferes with side Wall or ceiling structures, and eliminates the double cost of putting plates on and subsequently burning parts of them off.

I claim:

=1. A connector for vertically super-posed columns comprising, in combination,

a yoke having a resilient keeper bar spaced from and secured to one face of an upper column section,

a relatively flat elongated splice member adapted to span the joint between the column sections,

said splice member including a body having an outer face and an inner attaching face by which the splice member is secured to a face of the lower column, the thickness of the body between said faces being approximately the clearance in the yoke,

a resilient tongue on said body, said tongue having an outer surface coplanar with said outer face of the body of the splice member, and an inner face of concave formation to augment the resiliency of the tongue,

and an outwardly offset locking lug on the tongue which snaps into positive interlocking engagement with the keeper bar of the yoke, responsive to a predetermined fit of said tongue and lug within said yoke which develops an expansive stress on said tongue when forced therethrough.

2. A connector as defined in claim 1, wherein,

the lead portion of the tongue is convergingly tapered transversely and is provided with key guiding means, at its free end, and

an auxiliary key driveable between the facing portion of the upper column section and the keeper bar of the yoke within the concave formed inner face of said tongue.

3. A connector as defined in claim 1, wherein,

the tongue portion of the splice body is provided at its free end with a U-shaped key guiding slot, and

a wedge-type auxiliary key is driveable between the concave formed face of the tongue and the opposed face of the upper column section.

4. A connector as defined in claim 1, wherein,

the tongue is provided on its concave inner face with a transversely disposed rib, and

an auxiliary wedge-type key has a complementary transverse groove to accommodate the transverse rib, and

said key is driveable between the concave surface of the tongue and the opposed face of the upper column section.

5. A connector for vertically super-posed columns having at least one pair of co-planar faces, comprising, in combination,

a yoke secured to one of said faces and having a bar portion spaced from said face,

and a splice member including an attaching body secured at one end to the related face of the other column,

and an upwardly extending tongue of less thickness than the attaching portion and having its inner face spaced outwardly of the plane of the column to which the yoke is attached,

said tongue having a hook portion to engage the bar portion of the yoke.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,970,965 Leake Aug. 21, 1934 2,624,429 Saxe Jan. 6, 1953 2,765,136 Knapp Oct. 2, 1956 

5. A CONNECTOR FOR VERTICALLY SUPER-POSED COLUMNS HAVING AT LEAST ONE PAIR OF CO-PLANAR FACES, COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A YOKE SECURED TO ONE OF SAID FACES AND HAVING A BAR PORTION SPACED FROM SAID FACE, AND A SPICE MEMBER INCLUDING AN ATTACHING BODY SECURED AT ONE END TO THE RELATED FACE OF THE OTHER COLUMN, AND AN UPWARDLY EXTENDING TONGUE OF LESS THICKNESS THAN THE ATTACHING PORTION AND HAVING ITS INNER FACE SPACED OUTWARDLY OF THE PLANE OF THE COLUMN TO WHICH THE YOKE IS ATTACHED, SAID TORQUE HAVING A HOOK PORTION TO ENGAGE THE BAR PORTION OF THE YOKE. 